His usual debonnair manner was on him once again, his laziness, his careless insouciance.

He was even at this moment deeply engaged in flicking off a grain of dust from the immaculate Mechlin ruff at his wrist.

The heavy lids had fallen over the tell-tale eyes as if weighted with fatigue, the mouth appeared ready for the laugh which never was absent from it very long.
It was only Ffoulkes's devoted eyes that were sharp enough to pierce the mask of light-hearted gaiety which enveloped the soul of his leader at the present moment.

He saw--for the first time in all the years that he had known Blakeney--a frown across the habitually smooth brow, and though the lips were parted for a laugh, the lines round mouth and chin were hard and set.
With that intuition born of whole-hearted friendship Sir Andrew guessed what troubled Percy.

He had caught the look which the latter had thrown on Armand, and knew that some explanation would have to pass between the two men before they parted to-night.